Proverbs 4: 11 -
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

In today's message the Lord is telling us it is only when we are taught the way of His wisdom then only we are kept in the right path and we find many of the Christians being led astray because they are not taught wisdom by the Lord. There are lots of new influxes into Christianity which are not from God and these happen also because man is not working in the wisdom of God but using the wisdom of this world given in the Bible as Cosmic (Cosmos) wisdom.

If one sees the religions of the Heathen they will always rooted on cosmic energy, cosmic powers and cosmic wisdom. As Christians we are told to separate from this world and dwell in spirit.

Most people wonder how can we reject this worldly knowledge but yet live in this world?

Some days back I was attending an event where a famous Indian comedy actor who preaches God's Word was sharing on this topic. I loved the way he put it. He did add a lot of hilarious acting and dialogues to the preaching which I doubt anyone there would ever forget.

He put man as a ship that moves on water and water as the knowledge of the world. A ship needs water to move around so also does man need to know things of the world to survive. When the water level reduces the ship finds it hard to move around and may even get stuck, but if the water totally dries the ship could even tilt sideways and overturn.

We need to note although water is very essential for the ship, it also is the biggest enemy of the ship. If the water gets into the ship it will sink the ship. The very thing that keeps it up will bring it down.

The knowledge of the world is essential for us to live in this world but we should not let the knowledge of the world to take hold in our lives. In the Old Testament the knowledge of this world was symbolized as leavened bread and in no place did God allow leavened bread with His holy sacrifices leaving for just one sacrifice and that was the sacrifice of thanksgiving. That means the only place we can use our worldly wisdom towards the Kingdom of God is when we thank God other than that we need to keep worldly wisdom far from the Kingdom of God.

In the letters of Paul the English (KJV) translation has translated 3 different Greek words with the same word 'knowledge' these are - general knowledge 'gnosis' <1108>, precise knowledge 'epignosis' <1922> and understanding 'sunesis' <4907>. When we have knowledge of the Kingdom of God we need to know what kind of knowledge we have, is it just general knowledge, or is it precise knowledge or it is the understanding. When we say understanding it means something that is proven and now a part of us.

We can have knowledge of the world and even precise knowledge of the world but never have the understanding of the world. But when it comes to Kingdom of God we do not just pursue general knowledge or precise knowledge but pursue understanding. The knowledge of the Kingdom of God needs to be a part of us and Jesus said the only way it can be part of us is when we follow what we learn. That also means what we learn of this world we should not follow so as to avoid being a part of us.

[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You have said in your Word if we ask of You good things You do give us. Lord we pray You bless your people with wisdom and knowledge. And we pray Lord that they do not let the knowledge and wisdom of this world be a part of them but let the knowledge and wisdom of your Kingdom be a inseparable part of them...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[ Reference Scriptures ]Luke 11:52 - Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

Romans 2:17-24
17 But if thou bearest the name of a Jew, and restest upon the law, and gloriest in God,
18 and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,
19 and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them that are in darkness,
20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth;
21 thou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
22 thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou rob temples?
23 thou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishonorest thou God?
24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, even as it is written.

1 Corinthians 8:1-3
1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

1 Corinthians 13:8 - Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge [general knowledge], it shall vanish away.

Colossians 1:9-10
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Colossians 2:2-3
2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

1 Timothy 2:3-4
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

John 8:31-32
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)